JP2018520950A - Container lid assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lid assembly (1) for a container (2) and its container. More specifically, the present invention closes liquid or viscous products so that they do not leak, can be easily opened and closed with minimal effort, and is stably placed on a horizontal surface upside down to function as a tottle. It also relates to a lid assembly. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a lid assembly for a container and the container. More specifically, the present invention closes liquid or viscous products so that they do not leak, can be easily opened and closed with minimal effort, and is stably placed on a horizontal surface upside down to function as a tottle. It also relates to a lid assembly.

  Containers come in various sizes and shapes. Containers for home use products such as home care, personal care, and food products are relatively small in size, eg, several milliliters to several liters capacity. These categories of products used to store and dispense liquid or viscous products, such as watery, emulsion, lotion, gel, cream or semi-solid products, Requires a discharge port designed in conjunction with The lid must be able to prevent leakage when in the closed position and discharge freely when in the open position. Also, the lid must be manipulated relatively easily so that the user does not need to push it too much, but at the same time, the lid should not leak from the container due to the lid in the closed position.

  Several types of lids are known and are used to dispense product from such containers. Well-known lids include screwed, flip top, friction fit, snap fit, or gated lids among several lids. The present invention relates to lids for bottles that discharge products for home care or personal care, in particular personal care products such as liquid products and viscous products such as shampoos, conditioners, personal wash liquids and lotions. Bottles may also be used for storage and dispensing of household and furniture cleansing products. The lid of the present invention is a slider type, and the disk-like element slides in both directions on the discharge port of the container. Thereby, the discharge port can be opened and closed. Such types of lids have been disclosed in the past. British Patent No. 1095588 discloses a container lid with a plastic, partially spherical valve member. This member has an integral pin that is press fit into the radial slot and is slidable along the radial slot. The radial slot is present in a partially spherical recess corresponding in shape at the boss at the top of the container. When the valve closes the discharge opening, the valve can slide to a position substantially parallel to the top of the container so that its pin is parallel to the main axis of the container. The valve member functions as a spout. The top of the container may be tin, plastic or waxed cardboard.

  There is a need in the art to provide a lid assembly that can be easily operated with a simple horizontal push with a thumb or other finger. By simply pushing horizontally in this way, the discharge port of the container is reliably opened and closed without leaking the contents. Also, in a preferred embodiment, the upper portion of the container lid assembly is configured to be stably placed on the upper portion of the table so as to function as a tottle.

  A tottle is a container that is generally elongate and can be stably placed on a horizontal surface like any regular bottle. The tottle is also configured so that the bottle can be turned upside down and its upper surface can be placed stably on a horizontal surface. This is particularly useful when the contents of the container are very small and it takes a long time for the user to shake the container upside down to get the rest of the contents. It is particularly difficult to get this out if the contents are very viscous. In such a situation, the Tottle is placed on his head. As a result, the contents are collected toward the discharge end of the container, and as a result, the user can take out the contents without using excessive labor.

  None of the previously known or published container lid systems, including GB 1095588, disclose all of the desirable advantages described above. The advantage here is that the container can be used as a bottle or tottle, has a lid system that can be easily pushed and opened by simply pushing it horizontally with the thumb, and uses the system for a long time. This means that even after continuing, the outlet port of the container is closed without leaking the contents.

British Patent No. 1094588

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container lid system that can be easily opened and closed by a consumer by simply horizontally moving with a thumb or other finger.

  Another object of the present invention is that it can be easily opened and closed by the consumer by simple horizontal movement using the thumb or other fingers, while leaking whenever the lid is closed after use. It is to provide a lid system for a container that prevents this.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a container lid system that can be easily opened and closed by a consumer, prevented from leaking when closed, and can also be used as a tottle.

The first aspect of the present invention is:
(A) a container head;
(B) a disc-shaped cap;
(C) a lid assembly for a container attached to a container body, comprising a lid strip arranged between the container head and a disc-shaped cap;
The container head has an upwardly extending wall and an upper surface including a curved recess that includes an outlet port in fluid communication with the container body, the upper surface comprising a pair of parallel tracks and a pair of parallel recesses. Prepared,
The disk-shaped cap includes two pairs of parallel rails and a single rail arranged in the center on the bottom surface of the disk-shaped cap, and the first pair of parallel rails slides on the pair of parallel tracks. The second pair of parallel rails are configured with a rectangular cut and a centrally arranged single rail having an arcuate cross section;
The lid strip is provided with a longitudinal recess on the upper surface of the lid strip that can be slidably engaged with the arcuate single rail, and the lid strip is paired with the lower surface of the lid strip. A distal portion having a pair of legs slidably engageable with the parallel recesses and a proximal portion having a plug capable of closing the outlet port, wherein the lid strip is a lid strip A pair of ears that can slide from one end of the rectangular cut to the other end,
When the disc-shaped cap slides from the open position on the top of the container head, the single-rail arcuate cross section causes the lid strip to slide horizontally until the plug closes the outlet port. And a lid assembly that can be pivoted vertically downward to retract the lid strip passage in the opposite direction.

  Another aspect of the invention relates to a container comprising a container body suitable for detachably engaging with each other and the lid assembly of the first aspect.

  The invention will now be described in connection with non-limiting exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are intended to enable the reader to envision various specific elements described, and are not intended to limit the invention in any way.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a container including a lid assembly attached to the container body. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a lid assembly with various components in place in the closed position. It is a top view of the container head in the state where the disk-shaped cap and the cover strip are removed. It is a perspective view of the bottom part of a disk-shaped cap. It is a perspective view of the upper part of the strip for lids. It is a side view of the strip for lids.

  These and other aspects, features, and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description, and the appended claims. In addition, to avoid doubt, any feature in one aspect of the invention may be utilized in any other aspect of the invention. The term “comprising” is intended to mean “comprising” and is not necessarily intended to mean “consisting of” or “consisting of”. In other words, the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive. The illustrated embodiments, and the examples that follow in the following description, are intended to clarify the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments and examples themselves. Please note that.

  Explained in this specification indicating material quantities or method conditions, material properties, and / or uses, except in examples relating to operation and in comparative examples, or where otherwise indicated All numbers are to be understood as being modified by the term “about”. Unless otherwise specified, numerical ranges expressed in the form “from x to y” are understood to include x and y. For a particular feature, when multiple preferred ranges are described in the form “from x to y”, it is understood that all ranges combining separate endpoints are also contemplated.

  An advantage of the lid assembly of the present invention is that it is suitable for manually closing in the radial direction while being suitable for allowing axial closure. A further advantage of the present invention is that elastic members used as lid elements often have the disadvantage of being easily shrunk at low temperatures. The above-described shrinkage problem can be overcome using the lid strip of the present invention made of a material construction having physical properties similar to the container body.

  The present invention relates to a lid assembly for a container suitable for attachment to a container body. The container is preferably elongated. The container body is also preferably elongated. Elongate means that the longitudinal dimension of the container body is longer than the lateral dimension. The cross section of the container body may be any suitable shape, such as circular, oval, polygonal, or any other arcuate shape. The container body may be designed so that the cross-section varies across the length of the container body. The container body is preferably made of a polymer material, more preferably made of a hard plastic that can be selected from polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or high density polyethylene (HDPE), and made of HDPE. Is most preferred.

  The lid assembly includes a container head, a disk-shaped cap, and a lid strip arranged between the container head and the disk-shaped cap. The container head has an upwardly extending wall, an upper surface, and an edge between them.

  The container head is thus in the shape of an inverted cup. The container head preferably has a cross section suitable for engaging the upper end of the container body at its lower end, and more preferably the cross section is the same as the cross section of the upper end of the container body at its lower end. . The container head has an upper surface with a curved recess, and the curved recess includes an outlet port in fluid communication with the container body. The outlet port is preferably at the lowest position of the recess. The exit port may be of any preferred shape, with a preferred shape being circular, elliptical, square, or rectangular, with the most preferred shape being circular. A pair of parallel tracks and a pair of parallel recesses are provided on the upper surface of the container head. The pair of parallel tracks are preferably collinear with the pair of recesses described above, and are arranged outside the pair of recesses. The container head is preferably made of polymer, more preferably made of hard plastic, may be selected from one of PP or HDPE, and most preferably made of PP.

  The disk-shaped cap includes two pairs of parallel rails and a single rail arranged in the center on the bottom surface. Of the pair of parallel rails, the first pair of parallel rails can be slidably engaged with a pair of parallel tracks provided on the upper surface of the container head. Each of the second pair of parallel rails provided on the bottom surface of the disk-shaped cap is provided with a rectangular cut. The rectangular cuts in each of these rails preferably extend no more than 50% of the length of the second pair of rails. The two pairs of parallel trajectories are collinear with each other, and the first pair of parallel trajectories are arranged outside the second pair of parallel trajectories.

  The bottom surface of the disk-shaped cap has a single rail arranged in the center, and this single rail is configured to have an arcuate cross section in a vertical plane. The disc-shaped cap preferably has a substantially circular cross section. The single rails arranged in the center preferably extend no more than 50% of the diameter of the disk-shaped cap when the disk-shaped cap is circular. In an alternative embodiment, the centrally aligned single rail extends no more than 50% of the major dimensions of the disc-shaped cap when the disc-shaped cap is of a shape other than circular. More preferably, the length of the single rail is longer than the length of the rectangular cut in the second pair of rails.

  The lid strips are arranged between the disc-shaped cap and the container head. The lid strip is preferably an elongated rectangular strip with a rectangular cross section. The lid strip has on its top surface a longitudinal recess that is slidably engageable with an arcuate single rail provided on the bottom surface of the disc-shaped cap. The lid strip includes a pair of legs that are slidably engageable with a pair of parallel recesses provided in the container head at the distal end of the lower surface thereof. A plug that can close the outlet port provided in the container head is provided on the bottom surface at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the lid strip. The lid strip is provided at its side edge with a pair of ears that can slide from one end of the rectangular cut in the second pair of rails to the other end. Preferably, the pair of ears at the side edge of the lid strip is disposed next to the pair of legs provided at the bottom of the lid strip. Both the outlet port of the container head and the plug of the lid strip are preferably substantially circular. In the closed position, the plug is configured to be placed at the same height in the outlet port, thereby closing the container without leaking the contents. The lid strip is preferably made of a polymer, more preferably made of polypropylene, polyamide, or glass filled with any engineering plastic, most preferably made of polyamide.

  An edge of the container head defined by a boundary line between the upwardly extending wall of the container head and the upper surface of the container head has a V-shaped portion extending downward so as to enter a part of the container head wall. It is preferable to have. Since there is a V-shaped part as a part of the edge so that the disk-shaped cap can be easily moved, it is difficult to configure the container so that it functions like a tottle. This problem can be overcome by ensuring that at least 50%, more preferably at least 70%, around the edge is at a substantially horizontal height. This aspect in combination with the other aspects described above ensures that the lid of the container not only opens and closes easily while reliably preventing leakage, but can also be used as a tottle. The vertical distance as defined in the V-shaped part is preferably less than 50% of the maximum height in the upwardly extending wall of the container head. The V-shaped part preferably constitutes less than 50% of the periphery of the edge, and preferably less than 40%. Further, the V-shaped angle is particularly preferably 90 to 150 degrees.

  The disk-shaped cap preferably has a raised portion at a part of its circumferential end. The raised portion is preferably arranged in line with the V-shaped portion of the container head and behind the V-shaped portion. In this configuration, the protuberance is located directly behind the V-shaped portion and on the same side as the lid assembly, and the disc-shaped cap can be conveniently placed horizontally with the thumb through the V-shaped portion of the container head. Can be slid. Compared to a conventional sliding assembly lid, such an arrangement has the advantage that the elements of the lid assembly described above allow the user to easily move the disc in a substantially horizontal direction with the thumb. Opening and closing is very easy for the user. In comparison, the lid assembly previously disclosed and used must first be extruded horizontally, partially horizontally and partially vertically as the disk moves. You have to push your thumb in the direction of. For this reason, consumers are not sure in which direction to apply pressure and must apply more pressure than is required. In addition, since the lid assembly of the present invention allows the container to function as a tottle, the thickness of the disk-shaped cap at the raised portion is from the bottom of the V-shaped portion so that the container can be stably placed on a horizontal surface by being inverted. It is preferably configured to be substantially the same as the vertical distance to the substantially horizontal height at the edge described above. Thus, in this preferred embodiment, the raised portion of the disc-shaped cap not only allows the lid to be easily opened and closed with a simple horizontal press, but is preferred that at least 50% of the edge is horizontal. In combination with the embodiment, it is uniquely constructed so that the container that is to be placed upside down in order to function as a tottle can be further stabilized.

  The disc-shaped cap is preferably made of a polymer, more preferably made of PP, HDPE, or low density polyethylene (LDPE), most preferably made of PP. The disc-shaped cap may have any possible shape, preferably circular or elliptical, more preferably circular. The outlet port of the container body is preferably at substantially the same horizontal height as the bottom of the V-shaped part.

  A container according to the second aspect of the present invention includes the container body and lid assembly described above. The container body and the lid assembly are preferably suitable for detachably engaging each other. Such detachable engagement is preferably a snap-fit connection. The snap fit connection may be implemented using a bead and snap assembly between the container neck and the underside of the container head.

  The container and lid assembly disclosed in the present invention is suitable for dispensing a flowable product for use in home and personal care. Preferred products that can be dispensed include shampoos, conditioners, personal wash liquids, detergents, gels, lotions, and other liquid solutions. The container and lid assembly is preferably used to dispense a flowable product having a viscosity in the range of 3000 cps to 25,000 cps at 25 ° C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a container that includes a lid assembly attached to the container body.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the container (2) includes a lid assembly (1) attached to the container body (3). The lid assembly (1) includes a container head (4) and a disc-shaped cap (5). A lid strip (14) is also located under the disc-shaped cap, but is not visible in this view. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the container head (4) has an upwardly extending wall (6) and an upper surface (7). The edge (8) is defined by the intersection of the upwardly extending wall and the top surface. On the top surface is a curved recess (9). A portion of the edge extends downward to enter a portion of the wall and defines a V-shaped portion (12). The disc-shaped cap has a raised portion (13) at the circumferential portion.

  FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the lid assembly with various components in place in the closed position.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the lid strip (14) is arranged between the disc-shaped cap (5) and the container head (4). The lid strip is shown in the closed position. In the closed position, the plug (15) is positioned at the same height in the outlet port (16), thereby closing the outlet of the container and thus closing the container without leaking the contents. The container head (4) is provided with means (17) for snap-fitting the container head to a container (not shown) at the bottom of the upper surface.

  FIG. 3 is a top view of the container head with the disc-shaped cap and lid strip removed.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the top surface of the container head is shown without the disc-shaped cap (5) and the lid strip (14). The upper surface (7) has an outlet port (10) in its curved recess (9). The upper surface (7) of the container head is provided with a pair of parallel tracks (11) and a pair of parallel recesses (18). The upper surface of the container head is surrounded by an edge (8).

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the disc-shaped cap.

  Referring to FIG. 4, a disk-shaped cap has a pair of parallel tracks (11) shown in FIG. 3 on its bottom surface and a first pair of parallel rails suitable for engaging in a sliding configuration ( 19). The second pair of parallel rails (20) has a rectangular cut (21). The bottom surface of the disc-shaped cap also comprises a single rail (22) having an arcuate cross section aligned in the center.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lid strip, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the lid strip.

  5 and 6, the lid strip is an elongated rectangular strip. A longitudinal recess (23) extending along the length of the strip is provided on the top surface of the lid strip. The lid strip includes a pair of ears (25) at the side edges. Only one of the pair of ears (25) can be seen in the diagrams shown in both FIGS. A pair of legs (24) is provided at the bottom of the lid strip next to the pair of ears. As can be seen in FIG. 6, a plug (15) is provided at the bottom of the lid strip at the other longitudinal end than the pair of ears and the pair of legs.

  In use, the ridge (13) is pushed horizontally backwards with the thumb or other finger to open the container. The disk-shaped cap (5) slides back on the upper surface (7) because the parallel track (11) and the first pair of parallel rails (19) are in sliding engagement. At the same time, a single rail (22) having an arcuate cross-section aligned in the center causes the lid strip (14) to slide horizontally backwards in the longitudinal recess (23) to the outlet port (16 Swivel vertically with the plug (15) removed from. Accordingly, the lid strip moves rearward with the pair of legs (24) sliding in a pair of parallel recesses (18) provided on the upper surface of the container head (7). This horizontal movement is limited because the movement of the pair of ears (25) is limited between one end and the other end of the rectangular cut (21). To close the container, the disc cap is pulled back horizontally. By this operation, the disk-shaped cap and the accompanying lid strip can be returned by returning the passage. This allows the plug to be positioned at the same height in the outlet port and perform the required action of closing the container without leaking the contents.

  When the contents of the container are almost discharged, the container may be turned upside down and stably placed so that the container head is in contact so that it functions as a tottle. As a result, even if the content remaining in the container is a minimum amount, the consumer can discharge quickly and easily without consuming excessive labor.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a lid system for a container that can be easily opened and closed by a consumer, does not leak in a closed state, and can be used as a tottle.

Claims (15)

(A) a container head;
(B) a disc-shaped cap;
(C) a lid assembly for a container attached to a container body, including a lid strip arranged between the container head and the disc-shaped cap;
The container head has an upwardly extending wall and a top surface including a curved recess that includes an outlet port in fluid communication with the container body, the top surface comprising a pair of parallel tracks and a pair of parallels. With a concave part,
The disk-shaped cap includes two pairs of parallel rails and a single rail arranged in the center on a bottom surface thereof, and the first pair of parallel rails can be slidably engaged with the pair of parallel tracks. And the second pair of parallel rails are configured to have rectangular incisions, and the centrally arranged single rail has an arcuate cross section,
The lid strip includes a longitudinal recess that is slidably engageable with the arcuate single rail on an upper surface of the lid strip, and the lid strip is formed of the lid strip. The lid includes a distal portion having a pair of legs slidably engageable with the pair of parallel recesses and a proximal portion having a plug capable of closing the outlet port; A strip comprises a pair of ears that can slide from one end to the other end of the rectangular cut at the side edge of the lid strip;
When the disc-like cap slides from the open position on the top surface of the container head, the arcuate cross-section of the single rail causes the lid strip to close the outlet port. Slid horizontally to position and pivot vertically downwards, allowing the passage of the lid strip back in the opposite direction;
Lid assembly.   The container head has an edge defined between the upwardly extending wall and the top surface, and the edge has a V-shaped portion extending downwardly on a portion of the wall. A lid assembly according to claim 1.   The lid assembly according to claim 1, wherein the disk-shaped cap has a raised portion at a peripheral part of the disk-shaped cap.   On the same side as the lid assembly, the raised portion can be slid easily with the thumb in the horizontal direction by the V-shaped portion of the container head. 4. The lid assembly according to claim 3, wherein the lid assembly is disposed directly behind the V-shaped portion.   The lid assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein at least 50% of the periphery of the edge is at a substantially horizontal height.   6. Lid assembly according to any one of claims 2-5, wherein the V-shaped part comprises less than 50%, preferably less than 40% of the periphery of the edge.   The lid assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the centrally aligned single rail extends no more than 50% of the diameter of the disk-shaped cap.   The lid assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rectangular cut extends no more than 50% of the length of the second pair of parallel rails.   The lid assembly according to claim 1, wherein the length of the single rail is longer than the length of the rectangular cut.   10. A lid assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container head is made of a hard plastic selected from PP or HDPE.   11. A lid assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the disc-shaped cap is made of a hard plastic selected from PP, HDPE or LDPE.   12. The lid strip is made of a material selected from glass filled with polypropylene, glass filled with polyamide, or glass filled with any engineering plastic. A lid assembly according to claim 1.   A container comprising a container body and a lid assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 12, which are adapted to be detachably engageable with each other.   14. A container according to claim 13, wherein the container body and the lid assembly are detachably engageable using a snap fit connection.   15. A container according to claim 14, wherein the snap fit is embodied using a bead and snap assembly between the container neck and the lower side of the container head.

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